Custom Golf Shirts: What to Order for a Scramble or Company Outing

A charity scramble or a company outing is one of the few events where everyone actually keeps the shirt. Golf polos get worn again, which is not true of most event apparel, and that makes them worth a bit more thought than a giveaway tee.

Performance polo or traditional pique

The two options behave differently in ways that matter over four hours in the sun.

Performance polyester wicks moisture, dries fast, resists wrinkles and holds printed color well. It stays looking presentable after a round in heat, which is the main argument for it. It is what most modern golf apparel uses.

Cotton pique has the traditional texture and a softer hand, but it holds moisture, wrinkles in a golf cart, and cannot be sublimated, so any design has to be embroidered or pressed on.

For an outing in summer, performance fabric is the practical choice. For a club shirt meant to look traditional, pique has a case.

Where the logo goes

Golf has a stronger convention here than most sports, and breaking it makes a shirt look like event merch rather than golf apparel.

• Left chest: the primary position. Roughly 3 inches wide, sitting a hand’s width below the collarbone.
• Right sleeve: the standard secondary spot, usually for a sponsor.
• Upper back or nape: works for an event name and year.
• Large front graphic: avoid. It is the single thing that makes a golf shirt stop reading as a golf shirt.

If you have both a host organization and a sponsor, left chest for the host and right sleeve for the sponsor is the arrangement people expect.

Sizing a mixed group

Outings usually mean a wide range of body types and a lot of people who will not send you a measurement. A few things that help:

1. Ask for a chest measurement, not a size letter. Letter sizes vary hugely between brands; a number does not.
2. Order the drop-tail length if you have it, because it stays tucked through a swing.
3. Size up for anyone between two sizes. A polo that is tight across the shoulders restricts the swing, which people notice immediately.
4. Add spares in the middle sizes. Late registrations are always L or XL.

The golf polo sizing guide has the measuring detail. It matters more than usual here because made-to-order shirts cannot be exchanged for a different size after production starts.

Color, and the one thing to avoid

Light colors are cooler in summer sun and photograph well against grass. Navy, gray and white are the safe choices for a mixed group, because they suit everybody and get worn again afterwards.

The thing to avoid is a color close to fairway green. A shirt that matches the course reads as a flat shape in every photograph taken that day, which is a shame when photos are usually the point of a charity event.

If the organization’s colors are green, use them in the logo and pick a neutral body.

Timing a golf outing order

Production runs 5 to 9 business days and US transit adds 7 to 10 more, so about three to four calendar weeks. For an outing, work backwards from the event and add a week, because the last registrations always arrive after you wanted to place the order.

A workable sequence: close registration four weeks out, collect sizes in the same form as registration, order immediately, and keep a few spares for walk-ups.

Making them worth keeping

The difference between a shirt that gets worn again and one that goes in a drawer is usually restraint. A tasteful left-chest logo on a plain body gets worn to work. A giant front graphic with a date on it does not.

If you want the event commemorated, put the date somewhere discreet: inside the neck, on the back hem, or small on the sleeve. It is there for the people who care and invisible to everyone else.

Frequently asked questions

How far ahead should I order for a golf outing? Four to five weeks. Production is 5 to 9 business days and US transit is 7 to 10 more, so allow three to four calendar weeks plus a buffer for late registrations.

Is there a minimum order? No. A foursome can order four shirts at the same per-piece price as a hundred, which is unusual for custom polos and useful for small charity events.

Can each shirt have a different name? Yes, at no extra charge. Individual names on a group order cost the same per shirt as identical ones.

What fabric are these? A light performance polyester with a flat knit collar and a drop tail hem. It wicks, dries in the sun and resists wrinkling in a cart, which is what you want over four hours outdoors.

Will the logo hold up in the wash? Yes. The design is dyed into the fabric rather than pressed on as a separate layer, so there is nothing to crack or peel. Wash cold and skip the fabric softener.

Browse the range

See custom golf shirts and polos, or custom performance t-shirts if you also need a practice-round or volunteer shirt. Sizes XS to 7XL, no minimum order.